Burberry to stop burning unsold stock and selling real fur

Burberrysaid: "We continue to invest in communities, from supporting young people in disadvantaged areas of London and Yorkshire, to developing a more inclusive and sustainable cashmere industry in Afghanistan".

On Thursday, the company said it would cease burning stock immediately.

At the time, Burberry said it only destroyed items that carried its trademark and only worked with specialist companies which were able to harness the energy from the process.

Earlier this year Respect for Animals launched a campaign urging supporters and members of the public to write to Burberry urging the company to drop fur from its range. Burberry was not alone in this practice.

The British Fashion Council (BFC) made the announcement after asking the 80 designers featured in the program whether they will be showing real fur.

'It's high time for the whole fashion industry to start dealing with overstock at its source - by slowing down production and rethinking the way it does business.' Burberry is thought to be the first major company to publicly end the practice of destroying unwanted products.

Burberry has grappled with issues around its brand image before.

Luxury companies have responded to criticism by pledging to use a greater portion of their steep markups to fund efforts to clean up their supply chains.

Gobbetti, a veteran of the luxury industry, became chief executive a year ago, and has since unveiled an ambitious plan to overhaul company practices and take the business more upmarket. There will also be no real fur in Riccardo Tisci's debut collection, which is due to be revealed later this month.

The decision to stop destroying unsold items takes the rebranding effort one step further. Burberry, known for its tartans and trench coats, became the face of the practice in recent months after disclosing it had destroyed nearly $37 million (29 million pounds) in goods a year ago - a revelation that piqued investors' ire at the London-based company's annual meeting in July.

The fashion label is also establishing the Burberry material Futures Research Group that together with the Royal College of Art will invent new materials that are sustainable.

Burberry's September 17 runway show will mark the debut collection for new creative chief Riccardo Tisci, who replaced Christopher Bailey at the helm.

Advertisement

Related Posts

Jack Ma: English teacher turned internet tycoon
It transformed how Chinese people shop and pay for things, especially through the now ubiquitous Alipay digital payment service. Alibaba started as a business-to-business marketplace, but had enormous growth when it started selling to consumers.

Mercury rally to edge Seattle, forcing Game 5 in WNBA semifinals
The 6-4 Bonner scored 10 points in Phoenix's 21-5 run and drove again with the game tied at 84 and less than 30 seconds remaining. In the final game of the season last night the Mercury were led by five time All Star Brittney Griner with 21 points 9 rebounds.

Eagles found a way to mock Tom Brady in opening win
The Eagles' offense was booed on its way to the tunnel for halftime after gaining just 68 yards on 30 plays. Jones ended the game with 10 receptions on 19 targets for 169 yards - zero catches coming in the red zone.

Real Madrid captain Ramos: Enrique not hired to kick me out!
Spain coach Luis Enrique during a press conference at the Spanish Football Federation Headquarters in Las Rozas August 31, 2018. The team has had plenty of success in the last ten years, winning the 2008 Euro, 2012 Euro and 2010 World Cup .

Elon Musk smoking weed is now a meme
The comedian offered the 47-year-old billionaire a marijuana and tobacco cigarette, which are legal in the state of California. He had long argued that AI would be humanity's undoing, with sentient software treating people, at best, like house cats.

Elon Musk hits massive blunt in live interview
Musk and Rogan had been filming in California where marijuana is legal, although Musk had to ask for reassurance before indulging. A request Friday for an interview with Musk for this article, through Tesla's media affairs office, had not received a reply.